Powered by Water, Driven by Purpose

SES Water has a rich history of serving communities in the South East of England. Water plays an important role in our lives, which is why we’re committed to supplying our customers with access to 160 million litres of safe, reliable, clean water every day.

We’re proud to be part of Pennon Group, a leader in the UK water sector, working towards a greener future. Our goal? Net zero by 2030, supported by partnerships with Wildlife Trusts and National Parks.

Whether you’re starting out or seeking a new challenge, our scale and ambition create opportunities for you to shape your own career.

Ready to make a splash? Join our team today.

About the Role:

Are you an experienced water process professional looking to take the next step in your career? Do you thrive in a role where you can lead, collaborate, and make a real impact on water quality and operational efficiency?

We are looking for a Lead Water Process Operative to join our Production Team in Woodmansterne, ensuring the smooth operation of our Water Treatment Works, pumping stations and associated service reservoirs. This is a hands-on leadership role where you’ll not only operate and monitor water processes but also supervise and support a team to deliver excellent service.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Acting as the go-to person in the Production Manager’s absence, overseeing day-to-day operations, facilitating seamless handovers between shifts and Control room

• Monitoring SCADA: Investigating and Interpretation of trends coupled with responding proactively alarms to maintain system performance and security of supply.

• Support the team of Water Process Operatives and external contractors to ensure smooth operations by providing constructive feedback that fosters performance improvement while ensuring colleagues feel valued and supported.

• Ensuring compliance with key focusses on WQ compliance and regulatory requirements, Softening targets, Abstraction and discharge Licences, Regulatory External and Internal audits, and internal procedures.

• Identifying opportunities for efficiency improvements in energy use, chemical process optimisation and site operations as part of a Continuous improvement culture

• Working on exciting projects, collaborating with Internal teams, Supply chain partners and External contractors across the business to deliver long-term solutions

• Health and Safety: Lead by example, deliver a culture of safety and wellbeing boosting employee engagement, empowering your team to confidently find resolutions, feedback and ensure H&S remains the top priority.

• Working conditions are varied, from the control room to physical work inside, outside and in exposed areas. You’ll be working with chemicals and gases, sometimes in confined spaces so you will need to be physically fit. Due to confined space/breathing apparatus work you will have to pass a medical examination. This also means that you will need to be clean shaven.

What We’re Looking For:

• Experience in water process operations and water quality sampling (or a similar industry)

• NVQ Level 2 in Water Process Operations

• Strong leadership skills, to build a high performing team

• Experience of Internal / External stakeholder liaison

• Strong problem-solving skills with a keen eye for detail

• Ability to work effectively both independently and in a team

• Comfortable using IT systems, including Microsoft Office & SCADA monitoring

• Full driving licence and flexibility to work on a 1 in 5 standby rota

• CABWI Level 3 Diploma in Water Treatment

• Mechanical, electrical, or instrumentation knowledge

• Experience in handling chemicals, confined space operations and use of Breathing Apparatus (training provided).

What’s In It For You?

• Generous salary of £48,000-£52,000 dependent upon experience

• Generous annual leave allowance for work-life balance.

• Company van (for travel to, during and from work)

• Company benefits including up to 10% employer contribution pension scheme, life assurance and wellness support

• Career Development

• Training and ongoing development to help you succeed in your role

• A role where you can make a real impact on sustainability and efficiency

• Perkbox

• Shares scheme

• Cycle to Work and Car Share Schemes and for eco-conscious commuting.

• Simply Health healthcare cashback scheme and Surgical Choices.

• Service and MOT discounts at our on-site garage.

• One paid day per year for volunteering in the community.

Closing Date: Friday 13th February

Please note that the successful candidate will be subject to a mandatory DBS check as part of the onboarding process.

Be yourself, we like it that way. Together, we will build a culture of belonging, where inclusion is instinctive. Diversity is our strength and a reflection of our communities. We care, we value everyone, we celebrate uniqueness.

Our core values which are essential to our success are:

Be Rock Solid - Build trust and be trusted. Be the one we all look to and can depend on.

Be You - We want you to bring your best everyday. Be yourself and make your mark in your individual way.

Be the Future - Embrace change. Drive Progress. Own the challenge.